But there was something beyond the physical stature that drew me to River. I felt like River would be able to do all the things that I tell my current young men to do, without being told to do so. I thought that he was definitely more alpha male than any of my current gentlemen. While that excited me immensely, it also concerned me. If I selected River, would that put a damper on the othergentlemen?
I got out of the bath and began dressing. My thoughts were still on the candidates. I slipped on the dragon ring that had been in my family for many generations and drifted back to when I was a littlegirl…
“Daddy, I do not like that ring. It is scary,” I said as my father tucked mein.
“Why not, darling?” he asked and sat down on my bed. “This ring has been in our family for ages, Octavia. It is the DarickDragon.”
“It has scary eyes,” Iexplained.
“The dragon’s eyes will protectyou.”
“How?”
“Long, long, ago there was a powerful witch that could see the future. She could see…” My father paused for a dramatic effect, “Vampires,” I jumped. “She would warn our kingdom when vampires were coming. Then our family could warn the town, and everyone could get inside their homes for safety. We had someone in our family a long time ago, that thought what the witch said she could see, was rubbish. So he sent her away fromDrishane.”
“Where did shego?”
“She lived in the woods. But what she was able to see, was not rubbish. Her heart was still kind even though she was sent away. She truly wanted to help watch over Drishane and keep the vampires out. So, she made this ring and had it delivered to the castle. The dragon’s eyes became a warning from what the witch could see. Since she was not welcome in the town, she still passed along her vision. The ring would get warm and tighter on the finger if she were warningus.”
“Have you felt it get warm ortight?”
“No, my little princess, I havenot.”
“What happened to thewitch?”
“It is unknown, but I believe she is still out theresomewhere.”
“Why do the vampires want into thecastle?”
“Because of our mint under thecastle.”
“What isthat?”
“That is where the Royal Darick coins aremade.”
“Why do the vampires wantit?”
“Royal Darick coins are worth more than the forest chips. It is not just the coins they are after, they want our machinery and everything used to make thecoins.”
“We cannot let them in,Daddy.”
“They cannot get in because of the Darick Halo around the castle, remember? The witch put a protective spell on the castle that would protect all the people on the castle grounds. And as long as a member of the Darick family is alive and has this ring, the halo staysintact.”
“What is the matter?” Klyn’s voice from the doorway pulled me from my memory. “You look to be deep in thought,Octavia.”
I shut the small chest that I kept some jewelry in and turned to smile at Klyn. I gestured with my head for him to follow me outside where the breakfast had been set up already. Klyn poured me some tea before pouring himself some. I could still hear my gentlemen in their room getting ready, so I knew we had some time before they joinedus.
“I had been thinking of my father and the stories he would tell me about the ring and the halo around thecastle.”
“Do you believe it?” Klyn askedquietly.
“I do not know. I want to believe in it,” Isaid.
“But?”
“But every year of the festival, I cannot help but think that there was no truth to it at all when the entire town was wipedout.”
“Your father believed in the ring and the halo very much, Octavia. He knew something was wrong that night. I remember talking to him on the steps as you and your mother got into thecarriage.”
